Oconee Police Blotter

Posted: Wednesday, December 07, 2005

The Oconee County Sheriff's Office reported the following incidents:

Damage: On Nov. 29, deputies were called to a construction site at 2500 Daniells Bridge Road, where someone had broken the windows in the operator's cab of a crane that belonged to All Crane Rental of Georgia Inc. Damage was estimated at $250.

Arrest: On Nov. 29, deputy Jay Parker was patrolling on Aiken Road when he stopped a car for not having a license plate. The driver, Ronald R. Babecka, 41, of Broad Street, Statham, explained he was test driving the car. But a check on his license showed he had a permit allowing him to drive only to work or school. He was arrested for violating the permit and taken to the county jail.

Burglary: On Nov. 28, a builder of a house on Timaron Trail reported that someone entered the home and stole a stove and dishwasher, both valued at $950.

Burglary: On Nov. 28, a resident of the 1800 block of Barnett Shoals Road reported that he came home for lunch about 12:30 p.m. and discovered where someone had forcibly entered the home through a side door. Deputies Bryan Yoder and Shane Partain arrived and found no one inside the home. Damage to the door was estimated at $350 and the owner said he would notify the department if anything was stolen.

Arrest: On Nov. 28, deputy Jay Parker and other deputies went to a home at 1342 Aiken Road to serve a warrant on a female resident. When the deputies entered the home, they smelled marijuana smoke. Chris M. Stanton was sitting on the sofa and he told them he had been smoking marijuana. Parker patted him down and found a knife and a baggy of marijuana in his pocket. Stanton, 25, of Oakwood was taken to jail for possession of marijuana. At the jail, deputy Shane Partain conducted four tests on the marijuana, including a chemical test and a microscopic test, the latter where he observed the telltale signs of the marijuana plant. The marijuana weighed 0.4 grams.

Arrest: On Nov. 30, a deputy was summoned to Oconee County High School shortly before 2 p.m. after marijuana was found on a student. A teacher and others had smelled an odor on Joshua Robins, 17, of Coday Bluff, and he was taken to the front office, where the marijuana was found. He was charged with possession of marijuana.

Arrest: On Dec. 1, deputy Marvin Williams spotted a suspicious truck and ran the tag. He stopped the vehicle on U.S. Highway 441 and arrested Curtis Phillip Gregory Jr., 30, of Broad Street, Athens, on a charge of driving while his license was suspended.

Arrest: On Dec. 1, deputy R.W. Elder saw a car backing down U.S. Highway 441 near New High Shoals Road. He stopped the car and charged Charissa Diane Collins, 19, of Cooper Road, Comer, with improper backing, driving while her license was suspended and having an expired tag.

Arrest: On Dec. 1, deputy R.W. Elder was dispatched to a home on Hale Road, where a man said he came home from feeding the cows and saw his son and two other teens drinking some alcohol. His son, who was already angered by a previous incident, became irate when he was confronted about the alcohol. He damaged some telephones and a garage door before leaving and going to another person's home. Elder located Chris Michael Hofacre, 18, and arrested him on charges of damaging property and possession of alcohol by a minor.

Arrest: On Dec. 4, deputy Jason Lowe was patrolling near the Oconee Connector about 4:30 a.m. when he stopped a red Dodge pickup after a check on the license plate showed it was not insured. After stopping the pickup, he arrested the driver, Jeffrey Allen Bishop, 48, of Daniells Bridge Road on a charge of driving while his license was suspended. Two passengers, Donald Ray Cheatham, 51, of Clotfelter Road and Traci Jannie Jones, 26, of Hailey Drive in Oconee County, were ordered out, while deputy Brad Williams searched the vehicle. Williams located a zipper pouch containing crystal methamphetamine, along with numerous other pills described as Amitriptyline, valium and Ativan. Deputy Shane Partain arrived and read the Miranda rights to all three suspects. A pistol was found in the pickup and Bishop said it belonged to him, but none of the trio would claim ownership to the illegal drugs. All three were arrested on charges of possessing the illegal and controlled drugs.

Theft: On Dec. 3, a resident of Arizona Bend, Bogart, went to his mailbox to get the paper and discovered someone had stolen the mailbox and post.

Theft: On Dec. 3, an employee at T's Corner on Monroe Highway reported that someone entered a shed and stole a weedeather valued at $150 and a plastic gas can.

Damage: On Dec. 2, a Watkinsville man reported he was driving on Epps Bridge Parkway near Lowe's when a small white car ran into his car, which forced him into another car. The car causing the accident fled the scene. It was described as a small white Toyota or Honda.

Arrest: On Dec. 1, deputy David Gilstrap was called to the parking lot of Kroger's where the driver of a Mercedez Benz reported that a car involved in an accident where his vehicle was sideswiped was trying to leave the scene. Gilstrap went up to the GMC pickup and learned the driver, Edmundo Herrera, 32, of Epps Bridge Road, had no driver's license. He was arrested for failing to maintain his lane, no license and no insurance. Two days later, Gilstrap was on duty outside Wal-Mart when he saw Herrera again. He watched as Herrera got into the same pickup, which had been towed earlier, and start to drive off. He walked up to the vehicle and tapped on the window. Herrera said he still didn't have a license and Gilstrap asked him why he was driving again. He didn't respond.He was arrested for driving while unlicensed.

Arrest: On Nov. 30, deputy David Gilstrap was patrolling on Mars Hill Road when he saw a car with a tinted license plate, so he stopped the vehicle. Juan Samuel Hernandez Serrano, 22, of Vincent Drive, Athens, was arrested for no license, having a tinted tag cover and having an unregistered vehicle.

Damage: On Dec. 4, a Bishop man reported he was at Ga. Highway 316 and Jimmy Daniel Road shortly after noon, when an oncoming vehicle ran the red light and hit the front of his car. He said the other car, which he estimated was going about 90 mph, never slowed down. He was unable to get a good description.

Theft: On Dec. 4, a Watkinsville man reported someone entered his Ford Ranger while it was parked on Rankin Road and stole a Mossberg .22-caliber rifle valued at $93 along with a 2005 high school class ring with a blue stone.

The Watkinsville Police Department reported the following incidents:

Accident: On Nov. 29, police were called to Main Street at Whitehall Road where a car had pulled into the path of a mail delivery vehicle. No one was injured, but Arlin A. Minaya, 18, of Oconee Forest Drive was cited for failing to yield the right of way and not having a driver's license.

Arrest: On Dec. 1, police were summoned to a domestic dispute on Cedar Drive after a resident dialed 911 for emergency help. Gregory Stephen Mahaffey, 36, was arrested at the home for battery. The victim said Mahaffey grabbed and choked her during a heated argument. He was booked into the county jail.